On the Psychology of Sherlock Holmes
by Hermione Holmes
Summary: Just a different viewpoint on Holmes and the canon using psychology. I've tried to make this as nontextbooklike as possible. Enjoy! CHAPTER TWO UP!
1. Default Chapter

On the Psychology of Sherlock Holmes

In Sherlock Holmes's time, psychology was but a young field, not having blossomed into the science it is now. However, it is interesting how psychology can be applied when reading Conan Doyle's works and how insightful it can prove to be. Even Holmes himself starts talking psychology when he contemplates human nature. One of the more famous quotes from the canon that has even appeared in psychology textbooks is his comment on memory:

_"I consider that a man's brain originally is like a little empty attic, and you have to stock it with such furniture as you choose...It is a mistake to think that that little room has elastic walls and can distend to any extent. Depend upon it there comes a time when for every addition of knowledge you forget something that you knew before…."_

We now know that this is completely false, although it certainly was the sentiment back in the day. Long term memory is seemingly infinite- it's just the retrieval of information that's a bit tricky.

Psychology can also be used practically when looking at the original stories. Something I have pondered about since reading _A Study in Scarlet_ is the question of why Holmes is so appealing. He is, after all, a cocaine and narcotics addict; an egotistical, conceited misogynist; a sarcastic, tactless man who disparages even his close friend, Dr. Watson; and, debatably, something of a racist to boot. So why the fascination with this character who, if any of us were to meet in real life, we would immediately find repulsive?

The answer lies in two basic principles of social psychology: first impressions and the four central traits, (warmth, goodness, strength, and activity), are everything. These traits are important, as they allow the perceiver to infer, within just a few seconds, other characteristics about their target and, in this way, construct an entire personality about the target and determine if he or she is likeable.

Holmes has all these positive central traits on the very first page upon which he appears. When Watson and Stamford walk into the lab at Bart's, he jumps up and goes into an animated state, exclaiming that he has found a way to distinguish blood from other substances- that's being active. Watson remarks that his grip is firm, which indicates he is strong. He smiles and readily takes to Watson, which shows he is warm. And finally, anyone willing to fight crime and bring justice into the world must have something good in them. Four positive central traits, all presented quickly, and the reader immediately thinks that Holmes is worthy and decent. Doyle may not have known about this when he wrote the story, as these things hadn't yet been researched and published, but it is still imaginative, and lucky, that he did.

Stereotypes also heavily affect how we perceive someone, and Doyle has steered clear of these by giving Holmes a unique profession and not giving him any salient traits. Doyle does not mention an accent, or a peculiar way of dress, or anything of that sort. The only singular thing about Holmes is that he is so eclectic in his interests. In this way, the reader's perception of Holmes is not colored by any preconceived ideas. Instead, his eccentricity adds to his appeal, as he is entirely new, fresh, and enigmatic. Only later does the reader find out about his cocaine habit and of the incident in which he pockmarked the wall with _V.R._, but the deed has been done and the reader already likes Holmes. Thus, anything negative we find out about him is not such a calamity, as we absorb all his bad habits with his overall good personality. Just imagine if we had first met him in one of his lazy, surly moods. I don't think many of us would have reacted so favorably towards him.

Another point about Holmes has more to do with abnormal psychology. There has been found a correlation between bipolar disorder, or manic-depression, and genius. This does not mean that one causes the other, but there have been very famous, intelligent individuals who have suffered from the disorder. This is by no means a diagnosis from the DSM-IV, and the degree to which Holmes had this disorder is arguable, but it is another point of view. When Holmes is in his creative state, such as when he is on a case, he tends to be active, and when he has nothing to do he is in a black mood. This "black mood" does not simply mean idleness. It infers some degree of depression and a lack of interest in anything. Perhaps this is why he began taking cocaine- to get himself out of this state.

Naturally, it could be argued that he is simply happier when he is on a case and I agree with that, but think about it. He displayed his mania not only when on a case, but even when he had no mystery to solve, at which point he would become restless and begin to play the violin. Stanford researchers have found that people with bipolar disorder tend to have a wider range of emotions and thus have a creative, artistic edge over people without this disorder. This can explain Holmes's immense talent on the violin. He even managed to compose pieces himself, seemingly on the spot. Sometimes he would play a very frenzied, original piece, which I suspect would have been during his manic episodes, and other times his depression manifested itself in listless scratchings on the strings.

It is just the same with someone like Virginia Woolf, the English author who suffered from bipolar. She would write zealously for some length of time and then suddenly stop taking interest in anything. Her periods of creativity were characterized with manic feelings, and that was followed by bouts of depression. In this way, Holmes was creative and displayed enthusiasm even when not on a case, and he would be depressed when he had nothing to stimulate his intellect.

Another point that some Sherlockians have commented on is his apparent change in personality when he comes back to life after Reichenbach. They claim he is more introspective and subdued, and that maybe he had never come back to life at all, but that Watson made him up because he needed to get out of debt. While this is an interesting theory, there is a more logical way of thinking about it. Studies have shown that personality remains relatively stable as we age, but that major events in our lives can certainly change us. I suspect that his time in Tibet might have been wrought with thoughts about his life and how he was getting along in his years. Actually, it could be argued that his decision to take up beekeeping during his retirement is a sign that he had achieved Abraham Maslow's self-actualization, where he has fulfilled his potential and realized his place in the world.

Many people, too, have tried to explain his choice of career and his personality using the Freudian perspective, which focuses on sexuality, aggression, and childhood. Certainly there's nothing wrong with this, as it is very easy to find answers. Thus, Holmes hates women because he was sexually confused about his mother, he has not married and had children because his father was ambiguous, et cetera, et cetera. But the point to remember is that psychology is a social science, which means that research is done to back up theories. Freud had no evidence. That doesn't mean it isn't possible, but it can't be proven if Freud was right or not. The psychoanalytic method can be applied then, but sometimes the easiest explanation is not always the best.

Why, then, is he the way he is? Was he born this way or is he a product of his environment? Most nature versus nurture studies are done with twins and it is unfortunate that Holmes did not have one, or else we could have immediately known if his personality was learned or a result of his genes. But we can use the next best thing- his brother. Thus, Holmes could have gotten some of his traits from his family- certainly his genius and eccentricity seem this way, as Mycroft is highly intelligent and something of a recluse. Holmes was a Vernet also, so his artistic side probably was inherited.

However, he might have learned from his environment that honesty and humanity are important. Maybe something happened when he was growing up that made him realize that he was greatly interested in criminology. Misogyny was more acceptable in that time period and he might have acquired that prejudice from what he learned when he interacted with or read about people whom he admired. Without a doubt, if he had bothered to meet more women, that stereotype would have been dispelled even before his encounter with Irene Adler.

There are many more ways in which psychology can be applied to Sherlock Holmes, but these seemed to be the most interesting. I don't think of any of this as being conclusive and the topic definitely is open to debate. Obviously, he was a very original character and another point about our fascination with him is that he was seemingly indestructible- a natural superhero, as it were. So, please, leave your opinion in a review, as I'd like to know about other people's perspectives on this subject.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2- Alternatives

I think I've pretty much exhausted what little I know of psychology in the last chapter, but there were some points that I wanted to revisit, such as the bipolar theory and Holmes's appeal.

As described in the previous chapter, Holmes's mood swings might have been a manifestation of bipolar disorder. He would go into a euphoric state, even when not on a case, where he would be very active and it would seem that his mind was racing all the time. In contrast, he would sometimes reject a case if he did not fancy it, and he would succumb to a very lethargic, depressive condition. The fundamental problem with this theory, as HowAreYouToday brought up, is the fact that he could seemingly bring himself out of depression when he received an interesting case. I haven't come across anything that indicates that this is possible.

And it does seem that our society is disorder happy, as The Sometimes Scribbler pointed out. There are two-year-olds being diagnosed with ADHD, but since when have toddlers been able to focus on anything for more than half a second? Also, it would seem that Doyle probably didn't mean to describe Holmes as bipolar, as the disorder was first classified by Emil Kraepelin around the year 1893, which would have been after the publication of "A Study in Scarlet".

For an alternative to the bipolar theory, then, Michael Hardwicke, the eminent Holmesian, has an interesting, and rather obvious, idea. Essentially, he says that Holmes's black moods and sudden bursts of energy might have correlated with when he would take his cocaine. It's a simple explanation. When Holmes hasn't had cocaine, he goes into a bit of withdrawal, and when he does take it, he is more animated.

However, drawing out on this theory, one can see what would have happened during a case or when Holmes quit the drug. The cocaine was used as an intellectual stimulant, to help him when he was bored and had nothing to do. But, he would also become excited while working, as his brain would be sufficiently occupied. Thus, his strange behaviors would seem to have nothing to do with cocaine, but more with just pure boredom. If he had a case he would be active, but with nothing to do, and as unsocial as he was, it's no wonder that he would become irritable and depressed- this is simply the way he reacted. Both theories work, I think, and both can be argued, as they have their good points and their flaws.

The previous chapter also describes how we like Holmes because he displays the four central traits when the reader first meets him. Even if one is first exposed to Sherlock Holmes when he isn't in stellar form, such as reading "The Adventure of the Dying Detective" as EloquentlySpeechless did, he still is a good character and the reader likes him. Quite a few people pointed out that we also like Holmes because he is enigmatic and so hard to figure out, and that his faults add to his appeal. After all, the real mystery of the series is the mystery of Holmes himself.

But there is one more reason why we like Holmes so much: his supposed physical attractiveness. Come on fangirls, and fanguys, don't deny it; we've all envisioned Holmes as being somewhat good-looking. I have yet to read a piece of fanfiction, professionally published or not, that describes him as being homely.

The question now is, why? There is absolutely no evidence in the canon that would make one think that Holmes is striking. Women do not fall over one another to get at him, and the women with whom he has had some positive interaction with have all turned against him: the "most winning woman" was actually a cold blooded killer, Irene Adler opted for the handsome young lawyer, and Violet Hunter, whom Holmes supposedly looked favorably upon, dedicated the rest of her life to teaching, and not to pursuing him.

However, there is some ambiguity concerning Holmes's appearance. He is never described as ugly, but it's not as though the portrayal will leave the reader thinking that Holmes is an Adonis. And, though Doyle favored Sidney Paget's depictions of Holmes to those of Frederick Dorr Steele's, it was largely because Steele tended to veer off from the canon when he drew. Paget's drawings are more well-known, though the latter's rendition of Holmes certainly did make him seem somewhat attractive.

The description of him in the canon can be read in such a way so that he seems handsome, and, as Paget was basing his drawings on his brother, it's not as though he was really considering what Holmes might have looked like. Also, John Garrideb in "The Adventure of the Three Garridebs" comments that Holmes is not unlike the illustrations of him, but it is not certain to what pictures he is referring to. To Steele's, as Garrideb is an American, or to Paget's, as he had been in England for quite some time?

Thus, because Holmes's appearance is not fixed in the canon, we are able to imagine what he looks like. And, thanks to the halo effect, we think of him as handsome. The halo effect states that when a few good qualities are noted, other good characteristics are inferred, so that beautiful people are thought to be intelligent and kind, and those who are charitable are thought to be attractive. The ambiguity in the stories allows us to do this- if Doyle had outright said that Holmes wasn't attractive, the halo effect would not take place. It is this uncertainty that adds to his mystery as well, and makes him even more appealing.

A/N- Well, that's that. I'm thinking of maybe writing up on Holmes's intelligence and past, and if anyone has any other ideas, let me know. Also, if anyone is interested in a good psychology textbook, check out David G. Meyer's "Psychology: 6th Edition". It is the most fascinating textbook I've come across and it reads almost like a novel. You get the sense that Professor Meyer is really talking to you about a whole range of broad psychology topics. And, as an aside, I came across this Sherlockian Top Ten Lists website. Most of them are rather funny; my favorite was the one about Holmes going on "dates" with the women in the canon. As this website won't let me display the url, I'm afraid you'll have to Google it. Anyway, thanks very much to all my reviewers!

**Mariana**- Of course I remember you! Thanks for the compliment- I'm glad you liked this idea. And your English is actually better than most peoples' here in the States. Thanks!

**mierin-lanfear**- Though I did come up with the bipolar theory on my own, there is quite a bit about it on the web. But there are some flaws with it, so that may be why it's not well-known. And yes, it's probably a good thing that we don't know everything about Holmes, or else he would cease to be so interesting. Thanks for the review!

**BaskervilleBeauty**- We can only speculate about what would have made him realize his true self, but his time in hiatus likely had something to do with it. There's a plot bunny for a profound bit of fanfiction. Thank you for reviewing!

**Anozira**- Exactly right with the bipolar and Holmes's strength and likeability. Who doesn't like a superhero? Thanks for reviewing!

**Masked Phantom**- I'm glad you like the bit about his childhood, and I'm hoping to expand on that eventually. Psychology is really very intriguing, especially the research aspect, as it is such a young science. Thanks for the compliments!

**The Sometime Scribbler**- I haven't known anyone to call Holmes two-dimensional, but there is certainly a lot that people have added to him. And yes, I like his flaws as well- it's what makes him human. Thanks for the review!

**georgie d**- I did email you a few months ago to let you know that you could cite this, but I guess that's pretty useless now. Sorry if it's too late. Anyway, I agree about Freud. The fact that he lived during the same time period also makes people associate the two together, and the fact that Freud is still in the public's perception of psychology doesn't help matters. I'm glad you liked this- thank you!

**HowAreYouToday**- Thanks for pointing that out about the bipolar- it's not something I would have thought of. I'll admit I'm biased towards the bipolar theory because I'm interested in medicine, but the cocaine/boredom theory works just as well. Thanks very much for the compliments!

**silvertongue04**- I'm glad you liked the last chapter and I hope you enjoyed this as well. Thanks for the review!

**Dreamsprite5**- It's not as though you can blame Freud- he was still a pioneer, even if he wasn't very scientific, but I do agree with you. I personally think that Holmes genuinely did not appreciate women, but the mysteries surrounding him are certainly appealing. Thank you!

**Eloquentlyspeechless**- Thank you for bringing up that point about "The Dying Detective". It only goes to show that Holmes is always appealing, even if he does have wax on his face. I'm not a fan of Snape, but I do see the similarity you mentioned. By the way, would you mind if I put up your George Carlin quote on my profile on this site? The last part of your name is at odds with your review, (or maybe that's the point), and I really did appreciate it- thanks!

**Mizamour**- Thanks very much for the kind compliments! Psychology is very interesting. Thanks!

**Mysterywriter221**- I await your next chapter in suspense!

**Moonjava**- It is certainly something about his faults that makes him so appealing and human. I agree- thanks for the review!

**Gomen-ne-Yami**- Thank you! It's very kind of you to use Hermione Granger in complimenting me :)

**sapphirestars**- I'm glad you liked it and that you agree with me. I love psychology, particularly the cognitive and neurological aspects that have now replaced Freud's theories. I used to draw and I do like anime- I'll certainly look up this Detective Conan. Is it in comic book form or on something like Cartoon Network? Thanks very much for the review!


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